Another Interview for Frank Smith

The Seattle Seahawks have become the second team to officially request an interview

We told you that Frank Smith was going to be a popular name with NFL head-coaching searches this offseason, and now there's a second team that has requested an interview.

This time it's the Seattle Seahawks who want to talk to Smith, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The Seahawks are in the market for a new head coach after deciding to move on from longtime coach Pete Carroll.

This comes after the Carolina Panthers formally requested interviews for nine candidates around the league, and Smith was among them.

Besides the Carolina and Seattle openings, Smith also has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the openings with the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.

The Panthers also formally requested permission to interview Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken and Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

No in-person interviews can be conducted until Jan. 22, but Zoom interviews can happen before then.

Before the Dolphins playoff game at Kansas City, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked for his assessment of Smith as a head coach candidate and gave his offensive coordinator a glowing recommendation.

"Similar to my story, Frank has been in the National Football League a long time and how I first got connected with him was through stories of his relationships with players," McDaniel said. "So we really connect at the most foundational elements of what our profession is, and that's developing, maximizing, really serving the NFL football player in their dream to try to help solidify their goals and help them reach their best selves. He sees a lot of things very, very similar to myself. He's instrumental here with just my day to day and then also connecting me to the rest of the football staff and the players. Brings it every day. Doesn't take anything for granted.

"I'm not surprised and he's very deserving of the opportunity to interview. It's not if but when, whenever that that does come I know he's gonna do an outstanding job because of not any guessing (but) what I see on a day to day basis. And so I'm sure there'll be plenty of teams and he'll do great job interviewing and however that works out, I know that he epitomizes for me the NFL, not for long."

SMITH'S STRONG RESUME

While McDaniel is the Dolphins' offensive play-caller, Smith clearly has done some good since joining McDaniel after he took over as head coach in 2022, his crowning achievement coming last week when he was named the top offensive coordinator in a NFLPA survey.

The Dolphins offense led the NFL in total offense in 2023, and QB Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passer rating in 2022.

Smith, who will turn 43 next month, joined the Dolphins after spending one season as run game coordinator/offensive line coach with the Chargers in 2021.

He discussed the Carolina interview request last week.

"I’s extremely humbling," Smith said. "I mean, you go out in your career and you set forward so many things that you want to have as your personal goals. To be at the cusp of all that, I’m truly thankful for all the people who helped me get here. ... The one thing that I never take for granted is where I’m at today and what is necessary. Those things in the future will be when they come. I have the greatest job that I could ever ask for and I work for an organization with people that I’ve always wanted to work with."

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